This invention relates to baking potatoes, and more particularly to a rosin impregnated wrapper for producing an improved baked potato product.
The preparation of rosin baked potatoes is a well known art, particularly in Southern area of the United States of America where gum rosin from the pin tree is readily available.
In a typical recipe, a kettle of gum rosin is heated to about 275 degrees F. or until boiling, and potatoes are lowered into the rosin one at a time for cooking until the potato rises to the surface or for a longer time. The potato is then removed and wrapped in a foot square sheet of heavy paper. The potato is cut open through paper in top for serving with butter or other toppings.
A large restaurant chain features a rosin baked potato, starting with an extra large potato and then cooking it in boiling pine rosin. The rosin cooks the potato to a uniform fluffy white doneness for a superior flavor and texture. Their menu states "This is probably the most unusual method for preparing a baked potato (they're actually cooked in a big pot of boilin' pine rosin) but most folks say "the taste is worth the effort". It's a very special bakes potato and we serve it with genuine butter and real sour cream".
Wrapping potatoes in aluminum foil for baking purposes is found in cookbooks currently in publication. Instructions for rosin cooking of potatoes are also found in publications and referenced herein. The novelty of this invention is derived from the unique combination of flexible sheet, absorbing paper, and rosin into a wrapper product to enable cooking a baked potato in a new way.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,689,282 issued to Feinberg discloses a method of cooking whole potatoes in a salt solution. No flavor enhancement is produced by this process.
Laminated aluminum foil wrappers have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,865,664 issued to Neumann using wax and adhesive to produce a candy wrapper; such aluminum foil wrapper not being effective for the purpose of this invention.
An ovenable food tray formed from paperboard coated with food grade resin is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,940 issued to Quick et al. In this invention the resin coated paperboard is laminated to a paper coated with a flame retardant to provide resistance to flaming. Although this invention teaches the beneficial use of a food grade resin for oven use, the product of the invention is not flexible for use as a wrapper such as is the subject of this invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,833 issued to Self et al. describes a paper coating material suitable for oven temperatures, e.g. 350 degrees F. without melting, and also teaches that this material should not affect the taste of the food cooked therein. This is contrary to this invention which desires the paper coating (rosin) to melt to simulate the effects of cooking potatoes in liquid rosin and to add a distinctive flavor to the baked potato.
The existing methods of producing a rosin baked potato have several disadvantages. The hot rosin in an open kettle or other container presents a spill hazard, inserting and removing potatoes present a splash hazard; and the kettle, rosin, and other equipment require much storage space. A large quantity or rosin must be purchased to bake a potato.